29. Alice
Alice
After Ryder left, I decided to start my day by drinking another cup of this delicious coffee on his back patio.
The air isn’t overly humid or too warm, so I’ve been sitting here enjoying the lake.
His view faces north. There’s an opportunity to see the sunrise and the sunset.
Even though this house needs a lot of upgrading, I can see why he bought it.
The location, the large lot, the huge backyard, and the dock—it’s a dream family home.
One that, within twenty-four hours, has started to feel like it is going to be ours.
Or maybe it always was, and he knew it.
The only thing it’s missing is a pool, but I’m not sure that it needs one.
Maybe down the road it’s something for us to consider, but at the same time it’s easy to see where I could have a garden, we could put a swing set, and a hot tub.
Not that I’m trying to get ahead of myself, but it’s hard not to imagine it all.
Looking around, I find his infamous grill.
Well, I should say three grills. There’s a standard gas grill, the Green Egg, and another that has a flat top.
But that’s not what has caught my eye. It’s that on the end I find two large pots, both filled with gorgeous blooming lavender.
Lavender.
I don’t need to question why he has them.
I know why, and my eyes prick with tears.
He remembered, and at some point, he bought them for me, not even knowing if I would ever see them.
And honestly, they don’t look that new. They look like mature plants.
They’re full and flourishing with violet-blue flowers.
If I weren’t already in love with him, this would have done it.
Next to me, my phone starts ringing. I look down and see that it’s Kelli. I immediately answer it.
“So I’m looking at your location on my phone, and you’re not at your parents’ house. You’re at some house on a lake. Where are you?” she asks suspiciously.
I’m nervous to tell her because I’m not sure how she’ll react. I’ve been pretty open with her every time something has happened between us or changed between us, so maybe this won’t be such a surprise. “Ryder’s house.”
There’s a long pause. “Is it a nice house?” She’s curious. Relief washes over me.
“Yes. It’s dated, and he’s been renovating it himself.
It has the most beautiful view of the lake.
” My gaze travels toward it, but lingers on the dock.
You know how there are moments in your life when you can look back and remember exactly what happened and how it made you feel?
That dock will forever be that kind of place for me.
I can visualize us there in the rain, putting it all out there, and ending with him telling me he loves me.
He loves me.
“When you say renovating it himself, do you mean like with his hands? He’s a fix-it-himself kind of guy?”
“Yes.” I laugh. Although I haven’t seen him fix anything, I can imagine him shirtless, leaning over a saw or standing in the kitchen with a hammer. “He’s already replaced the downstairs floor, he tore down some walls, and he’s been redoing the kitchen. It looks amazing.”
“Soooo, what you’re saying is he’s good with his hands?” The innuendo comes through loud and clear. There’s no one here to see me blush, but I do anyway.
“He’s very good with his hands.” I’m grinning hard, and my cheeks start to hurt.
She squeals on her side of the line.
“Was it amazing?” She’s begging for details. Not that I blame her. When the roles were reversed, I wanted to hear all about it.
“Indescribable.”
“Wow. I mean, just look at him. He’s got all that God gave him going for him. If he messed this up, I’d be royally disappointed for the rest of us who are hoping that a tall, hot, athletic guy will come our way.”
I laugh.
“He definitely didn’t disappoint.” I pull my knees up and glance back over at my lavender plants. Am I sore today? A little, but it was so worth it, and I can’t wait to do it again.
“Is this the same lake?”
“Yes.”
She lets out a deep sigh. “Can’t say I didn’t see this coming.”
“Are you mad?” I’m nervous to ask her this, but I don’t want to wonder.
“Why would I be mad?”
“You were there. You picked me up and put me back together.”
“I was there. I’m also here now. He might have been a dumb boy, but he is not a stupid man. You two were always going to find your way back to each other, and from what I’ve seen from him, he’s not going to let you go again.”
Warmth spreads through my chest.
“I thought he hated me.”
“Are you kidding? That was foreplay. Since day one, he hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off you.
He’s always showing up even when you don’t want him to, and he loves to drive you around.
I know he’s texted you some, and whether or not he realizes he was doing it, he’s been trying to reconnect with you for months. ”
“He told me he loves me.” I bring my coffee mug to my nose and breathe it in. Strong floral notes. He knows me well.
“Of course he does. You’re the most amazing person I know.”
“Should I be worried?”
“I don’t think so. He bought you a house.”
I look around, and an overwhelming sense of rightness settles in. “He did, didn’t he?”
“I’m going to need to see this house soon. Put my stamp of approval on it. If you’re going to be there, then he’d better expect me to come over and be there too.”
“I think he’s kind of afraid of you.”
She laughs, “He should be.”
“When are you coming home?”
“I’ll be back Sunday night so we can get ready on Monday together.”
“Okay, perfect. Tell your parents I said hello.”
“I will. And Alice, I’m happy for you.”
I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear this from her.
If she didn’t approve, that wasn’t going to stop me from being with him, but hearing that she does defuses that tiny bit of uneasiness that I had lingering.
Not uneasiness in my feelings for Ryder.
It’s that I like all areas of my life to be cohesive.
“Thank you.”
It’s been six hours since Ryder left me, and I’ve enjoyed every second.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t snoop around his house, because I did.
After all, he did leave me here with his things, and he should know by now that I’m going to use this to my advantage.
I’ve finally made my way into his closet, and I’ve tried on a bunch of his clothes.
There’s something about being privy to his innermost belongings, and I’ve loved them all—especially the pair of ratty old tennis shoes I found in a box on the top shelf.
“What are you doing?” a deep voice says from behind me.
“AHHHHH! Oh my God!” My hand flies to my chest. “You scared the crap out of me,” I yell at him as my heart feels like it’s going to pound out of my chest. Felix howls and darts out of the closet and away from us.
“Didn’t you hear me come in?” He grins.
“Obviously, no, I didn’t.” I brush my hair off my face. “Maybe you should think about getting one of those sensors that beeps or something when a door or a window is opened.”
His grin grows, and he rolls his lips between his teeth.
“Stop laughing at me.” I throw a sweatshirt at him, and he twists to avoid it.
“Can’t. You’re cute.”
“I’ll show you cute.” I get up off the floor, shove past him, and walk out of the closet.
“Don’t be like that,” he teases. “I like finding you playing dress up in my clothes.”
Cheese and crackers, I totally forgot I was wearing his clothes. I’m in a long-sleeved Tarpons T-shirt, a pair of gray sweatpants, I have a black winter scarf draped around my neck, and I’m in some teal dress socks.
At this point, I just own it. “What do you think? Is it my look?” I strike a flirtatious pose.
Felix, having decided that the drama is over, makes his way to greet Ryder and rubs up against his leg.
“I think everything is your look.” He moves so his hands are on my hips. “You could make a brown paper bag look good.” He bends down and sweetly kisses me.
I know one day I will get used to being kissed by him, but today is not that day. Excited adrenaline tingles race across my skin.
“I’m taking it you’ve made your way through the house?”
“I did.” I step closer to him and slide my hands up to his chest. He’s a little dirty and smells like he’s spent hours outside, which I guess he has, but I don’t mind. He could show up covered in mud, and I’d still want to touch him.
“And?” He pops one brow.
“I love it so much.”
Relief. Pride. Love. All of these things come shining through the sweep of emotions on his handsome face.
“What do you love the most?” His hands slide around to my butt. He tucks them inside the sweatpants where he delightedly finds me not wearing any underwear, and he pulls me against him. I arch my back to see him.
“The back patio. But I will be picking us out a new furniture set. I need to be able to stretch my feet out in front of me when I’m reading.”
“Whatever you want.” He smiles as if I’ve just told him this week’s winning lottery numbers.
“You bought me lavender plants.” My hands slide higher, and when he lowers his head a little, my fingers get lost in his hair.
“I did.”
“When?”
He looks a little sheepish. “June.”
My eyes light up. “Ryder!”
“I know,” he whines. “And trust me, at the time I was kicking my own ass, but I was at the outdoor store looking at grills, and there was a pallet of them, and I couldn’t stop myself.”
“You do like the way they smell.”
He drops his head so that his face is tucked against my neck. I showered again to wash and dry my hair, and of course I brought scented lotion.
“I like the way you smell.” He breathes in deep.
“And how do I smell?”
“Like home.”